Is there a way to extract the contents of the files that do remain? I understand that I won't be able to have a complete successful import without all of the data, but salvaging whatever information remains would be nice. For example, losing everything about how the Zimbra environment is fine because it'll be built from scratch anyway. Usernames and passwords would be nice. Obviously I don't know what the files do that are missing and what I ask may not be possible.

Right, but what files are those? I have another VM setup with the same version of Linux and the same version of Zimbra. What files do I move over?

I won't change anything in DNS, all new machines will be recreated on their old IPs.

FWIW: I don't think the problems at this point have anything to do with the machine or the Zimbra installation, but of the LDAP database. I just don't know enough about openLDAP or BDB to figure it out on my own. I am willing to try anything, though.

i don't use vm image , only zimbra server, so i dont know how to work vmware image zimbra.
also did you have access to admin web interface ?
did you see email accounts ?

Running on VMWare doesn't make any difference as to how Zimbra works. As far as Zimbra is concerned, it doesn't matter if it's running on dedicated hardware or vSphere. (Can't really say VMWare because Zimbra is a VMWare product.) In the post above, I could have just as easily said "I have another server server setup with the ..."

I do not have access to the web interface as that server is not online. At this point I'm just concerned with getting the LDAP data out. I am working on getting the mailbox servers back to where I can access them, but I'm not there yet.

Here's the differences between the LDAP data folders. Again, I expected differences.

Can anyone make any recommendations if it is safe to move the LDAP data folder over to the new box? I expect there to be errors in the files, but at least all of the files will be there, whereas the original box is missing files.

Okay, I just double checked and that olcOverlay file exists as an LDIF in that directory in both the recovered system and the new system. They have largely the same data, just slightly different at things like timestamp (which make sense). I then decided to capture all of the strace, not just the end. How this decides to process is.... strange. There's a lot to chew through here. Ideas?